Hello everyone,
I'm here in South Africa to follow the first stage of World Cup Mountain Bike World and cycling.it, for the Italian team Bike Argentina, Dytech and Playbiker – Iron Horse and not least for friends Tri-Ride! We arrived more or less every Monday, After a whole night on the plane, a Johannesburg. About the car, those in the van, Who plane, we headed Pietermairtzburg.
I was in the van with Cozzi, Milivinti and Suding, and thanks to the guide “roundabout” of Cozzi we were able to enjoy some nice views, also meeting the big time but left around the beautiful rainbows. L’accomodation a Pietermaritzburg, chosen by the excellent team of directors Iron Horse – Kenda – Playbiker Romano “Clutter” Favoino, è un bed and breakfast chiamato Africa’s Eden, run by a couple with the husband of Italian descent: I say only that the first night we ate lasagna in South Africa! Yesterday (Tuesday) day of relaxation, the morning we visited the factory Morewood, was great to see Patrick Morewood welcome to come directly from the welding bench! In the afternoon on the advice of the boys Morewood we went to stretch our legs HIV Gorge Bike Park, an amazing place about 60km from Pietermaritzburg, where we have found a wonderful BMX track, full of kids from 6 years of age who went to great, a few lines of dirt and a short but fun DH. The park manager greeted us like kings, putting a pickup available for lift and a security officer who was following me while I was taking photos on location. Absolutely epic ford the river to do at the end of the descent, or passed in whole or in the creek had to jump on the rocks…do not tell you what happened to nearly make my photo equipment! Now (Wednesday) we arrived recently in the press room, which is within a shopping center just outside Pietermaritzburg, the paddock area is right outside and we're going for a ride on the path!
Impressions on the race track
Just returned from an inspection of the route on foot. To begin the ascent is absurd, must take the motorway and then follow a dirt road to a point (reported very ill) from which you can walk (the lucky bike) to get, After about an hour before departure, the start of the DH. Except for two very technical sections and some jump the route is fairly flat and insipid, without great difficulty. I see very well the cyclists, very bad masters of the technical type Hill the Blenkinsop. The nice thing is that the pot sprouting a pair of panettone 12-13 m, will be fun to see what the riders will ride to close. Duncan Riffle, with whom I chatted on the way, assured me that the path is actually pretty funny, and the speeds always very high…I could hardly believe it, However, we will see tomorrow. The paddock area seems a bit of a camp, are almost all in white tents rented by the organization, and everyone tries to customize how it can…
See you tomorrow for the first day of training!
Simon Cittati
Mountain Bike World
simon@cycling.it
www.cycling.it
www.simon.cittati.com
